This page contains some common suggestions for ascension kit components. You will not need everything on this page (many of the items listed are mutually exclusive), but (unless attempting an unofficial conduct) should make sure that you cover all the major attribute listed above in the items you select.

You do not need an oilskin cloak if you have MC3. Instead, you can simply teleport the water monster or couatl away immediately when it wraps itself around you. You have one turn before it drowns you. Break the wand if you are stunned or confused. If you are burdened, it's your own fault - you may not get to act on that turn. Make sure to keep one wand fully identified as having charges; an un-ID'd wand may be empty, resulting in your death.

Body armor

Dragon scale mail, usually silver or grey: This provides either reflection or magic resistance, 9 base points of AC, and does not hinder spellcasting. Yellow dragon scale mail is another lesser possibility, as it provides an acid resistance which cannot be gained intrinsically.

High-level Monks can hit accurately enough to overcome the -20 to-hit penalty for wearing body armor, but most Monks can get by without.

Jumping is an easier spell to cast than haste self, but casting it repeatedly with the Amulet will drain your power rapidly, and failed casts can waste precious movement opportunities. With jumping boots, you haste yourself with the Amulet at your feet when not in immediate danger, to build up hundreds of turns of the effect, then pick it up and go on your way. Jumping with the boots isn't subject to random failure.

For characters who lack access to either spell, extrinsic speed is generally more useful than the ability to jump, which requires clear paths through monster hordes, and conveys no combat advantage.

Gloves

Gauntlets of power, if not a spellcaster: they provide strength 25 (+6 to damage) and 1 point of base AC. Valkyries in particular can benefit from gauntlets of power, since this allows them to throw Mjollnir and catch it again.

It's likely that you've found a pair of well enchanted leather gloves at this point. Neither gauntlets of power or gauntlets of dexterity are absolutely essential, so consider keeping what you have rather than wishing for magical gloves.

Elven leather helm: does not hinder spellcasting, provides base AC 1, and can be safely enchanted up to +7, giving a higher potential AC boost than any other helm. Its weight of 3 is also much less than the others' 50.

Any enchanted, greased piece of headgear will do. You should grease it to help protect against mind flayer attacks.

Shield

Shield of reflection: If you are not wearing SDSM or an amulet of reflection, you need another source of reflection; otherwise lightning attacks can explode rings and wands, cold attacks can freeze potions, etc. The shield is a good choice for non-spellcasters, cannot rust or corrode, and provides 2 base AC.

Elven shield: If you already have reliable reflection from one of the other sources and are not a spellcaster, this may be a good choice. It has a base AC of 2, and can be safely enchanted to +7, giving it the highest generally feasible AC of any shield. It is also the lightest shield out of those with base AC 2 (barely).

Small shield: Can be great for spellcasters who are wearing a robe. Provides base AC of 1, but can be safely enchanted to +5. You might also want to fireproof this wooden piece of armor.

Shirt

T-shirt or Hawaiian shirt, the only choices. They are, in practical terms, identical and both provide an extra piece of armor to enchant, for lower AC. Unenchanted, they provide 0 AC reduction.

Ring of conflict: Makes monsters fight each other instead of you. A minor disadvantage is that the pet guardian angel on the Astral Plane will be replaced with some hostile angels if you arrive wearing the ring, or wear it in its presence. (But they will probably fight each other, and the guardian angel isn't a good pet at this point anyway).

Ring of protection: For characters with MC2 from armor, extrinsic protection reduces the success rates of cancellable attacks by 75%. Makes paralysis, life drain, lycanthropy, sliming, and disenchanting attacks much less of a threat. Characters with strong ranged attacks may be able to deal with such monsters before they can close to melee range, but monster summoning (especially of nasties) is still an issue.

Amulets

Amulet of life saving: If you die while wearing it, you come back with full HP instead, unless the cause of death would still kill you afterward. While not necessary, this item is quite useful. Chiefly, it lets you take on more risk in the Endgame, reducing resource consumption. It also provides limited protection against YASD from overconfidence, inattentiveness, typos, and other gameplay blunders.

Amulet of reflection: Some playstyles would prefer to gain reflection via the amulet - you may wish to free the left hand for #twoweapon instead of the shield of reflection, or keep a robe to enhance spellcasting instead of a cloak of magic resistance (gaining magic resistance from GDSM instead).

Tools

Towel or blindfold: put one of these on to become blind and use intrinsic telepathy if you have it. It lets you avoid stunning from Archons. It's a good idea to bless your towel or blindfold as an extra layer of protection against cursing.

A light source, mostly for jumping on the Astral Plane. To fully make use of Skilled or Expert jumping spell, you will need the Candelabrum; otherwise any lamp will suffice.

Wands

Wand of teleportation: Can be zapped (even on non-teleport levels!) at monsters or objects to make them go away. Very useful when trying to get to a high altar or get rid of air elementals. When surrounded on a non-teleport level, breaking one can give you room to maneuver. Zapping a rider or its corpse will usually move it adjacent to you, but possibly adjacent in the direction you came from.

Cursed scrolls of gold detection show all traps as $. This is useless on the Plane of Fire, which is full of fire traps. Also, traps detected as gold will vanish from the screen once they are in sight.

Weapon

Weapon : You likely want some weapon, unless you are a conduct player. Most players choose an artifact weapon. Grayswandir, enchanted to +6 or +7, is usually considered the best. #Twoweapon with a blessed silver saber makes it even better. A comprehensive discussion on weapon selection is beyond the scope of this page.

Potions

Holy water : Used to bless items that are unblessed or cursed by the Wizard of Yendor, liches, and other foes. While there are a number of techniques for un-cursing your items, holy water is the only convenient route to re-blessing items that you need to be blessed (a bag of holding, perhaps?). It is advisable to carry at least five holy water. If you're particularly worried about curse-casting foes, individually name your holy water. It makes it less likely that all of them will be cursed and you'll be unable to uncurse your gear when you need to.

Blessed potions of full healing : Quickly restores your hitpoints by a large amount in case of emergency. It also cures sickness, blindness, and hallucination. A reliable way to cure sickness is vital on the Astral Plane because of the Riders (read: a blessed unicorn horn might not be enough).

Comestibles

K-ration and C-ration. Often dropped by the Yendorian military members, these rations provide 400 and 300 points of nutrition respectively, both are consumed in only one turn making this type of food very useful when facing Famine; both weigh 10.

Lembas wafers provide 800 points of nutrition each and are eaten in 2 turns, weigh 5. Can be very effective while still running to the planes.

Royal jelly found in giant beehives provides 200 nutrition, but weighs only 2. These can actually heal you up to 20 HP at a time when eaten. Non-cursed royal jelly also increases strength by 1 and heals wounded legs. Cursed jelly decreases strength and does not heal wounded legs.

Blessedtins of nurse meat. Consuming one restores you to full hit points. A useful item for healing yourself, with some advantages and some disadvantages relative to potions of full healing. First and foremost, consumption of nurse meat is cannibalism for human characters! Unlike potions, tins never explode or dilute, so are always safe to carry in main inventory, even in such hostile environments as the Plane of Fire. On the other hand, even a blessed tin will take two turns to heal you (one to open and one to consume), which is slower than quaffing a potion in main inventory and no faster than retrieving a potion from a bag before quaffing. A (non-cursed) homemade tin will always provide 50 nutrition, and can cause you to choke to death if you are satiated; this is never the case with a potion. Finally, a full healing potion can only restore a maximum of 400 hit points; nurse meat always restores you to your maximum, however high that is (although it is rare to attain (or need) over 400 hp without alchemy or any farming in the first place).

Classes that need help casting spells but can be powerful casters: knights especially (due to doubled magic missile damage; note they cannot obtain the Eye unless they convert themselves to neutral after the quest and wish for it)Those willing to wish for artifacts